The South African Weather Service has issued a Yellow Level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms expected on Friday, over parts of the North West, including Mahikeng, Vryburg, and Klerksdorp.

Residents in these areas are advised to prepare for strong, damaging winds, heavy downpours, large amounts of small hail or large hail in open areas, and excessive lightning that could lead to localised flooding, especially in low-lying settlements, roads, and bridges.

According to SAWS, scattered showers and thundershowers are expected across much of the central interior, extending into parts of the Free State and Northern Cape, with rainfall probabilities of up to 60% in the North West. 

Bloemfontein and surrounding regions may see a 30% chance of afternoon thundershowers, while light, isolated rainfall is anticipated over KwaZulu-Natal’s coastal regions, including Durban and Port Shepstone, also with a 30% chance.

Conditions in Gauteng and Limpopo are expected to remain mostly warm and partly cloudy, with little to no rainfall forecast.

In contrast, the western and southern parts of the country, including the Western Cape, will remain dry and warm, though strong winds of up to 40 km/h are forecast along the coastal areas near Cape Town, George, and Port Elizabeth.

Daytime temperatures will range from very hot in the Northern Cape interior, where Upington could reach the upper 30s, to cooler conditions along the eastern coastline. Winds across much of the interior will be moderate to fresh, with gusty conditions near thunderstorms.

Motorists and residents are urged to exercise caution on the roads and stay updated with the latest alerts, as sudden weather changes may cause hazardous conditions throughout the affected regions.

IOL News

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